The Grunt of the Litter
by slbsp-33
Summary: Santana and Brittany meet at the Lima Animal Shelter because of a tiny and awesome kitten. Their lives were changed forever that day.


_A/N – This is a one-shot I started writing quite awhile ago and decided to finish it. Let me know what you think._

Six year old Santana hated it when she had to sit still unless she was watching her favorite cartoon. Her mother had told her she had to sit on this stool until it was time for them to leave. They were currently at the Lima Animal Shelter where her mother volunteered twice a week. Usually her mother volunteered when Santana was in school but today there was no school because the teachers had a meeting. Santana had only been to the shelter with her mother a couple of times before but it was enough for her to learn the layout of the place. She knew where the dogs, cats, kittens, and puppies were located. They also had some birds and reptiles but she stayed away from them especially the reptiles.

Santana loved going around and looking at the animals but now she was banished to sitting on this stool because she accidentally opened a cage and let out six medium sized very active kittens. While it was quite funny watching her mother and another volunteer running around trying to catch the agile kittens it stopped being funny when her mother said to her 'Santana Marie Lopez you sit on this stool until it's time to leave and if I see you move even one muscle there will be no TV when you get home'. Santana always wondered why her mother said 'if you move even one muscle' because it was impossible for her to sit like a statue and not move at all. She had to blink and she was sure that meant she was using more than one muscle in her eye lids.

"Brittany honey, can you please just pick out a kitten we have been here for well over an hour. You have held and talked to every kitten they have here. There must be one of them that you like more than then the other ones." Susan Pierce was getting frustrated with her six-year old daughter and her indecision when it came to picking out a kitten. It was Brittany's birthday present.

"Mommy, you can't say that the kitties will think I don't like them all the same and they will be sad. I just need to find the perfect one for me." Brittany looked at her mother pouting. Susan just smiled at her daughter's comment.

Santana heard what Brittany said and held her hand over mouth while she giggled. She wondered how many muscles it took to giggle because she surely was moving more than one muscle now.

Brittany's mother's cell phone rang so she looked to see who was calling. "This is your father I told him we'd only be gone about an hour and I'm sure he's anxious to play golf since it's such a beautiful day."

"Maybe Ella pooped her pants and he doesn't want to change her. You know he hates doing that." Brittany scrunched up her nose like she was smelling something nasty while she spoke.

"You look at the kittens and I want you to have picked one by the time I'm off the phone with your father." Susan told Brittany as she turned away to answer the phone.

Brittany looked at the tiny kittens in the cage, they were all so cute but the perfect one wasn't in this cage. "Hey, do want to see the most awesome kitten ever?" Brittany looked all around her when she heard someone talking but didn't see anyone. She looked at the kittens like maybe it was one of them who spoke. "Down here." Brittany looked down to her right at the floor and there on her hands and knees was the prettiest little girl she had ever seen. The girl had caramel color skin and long dark hair that was in a pony tail.

"Why are you on the floor crawling can't you walk yet? I have baby sister who can't walk yet but she a lot smaller than you." Brittany was puzzled as to why this girl was on the floor.

"I can walk I'm down here because I don't want my mother to see me. She told me stay on that stool over there and not move one muscle until it was time for us to leave. I got in trouble for letting the bigger kittens out of their cage."

Brittany giggled and made big eyes. "My mommy and I saw all of those kittens running around and big people trying to catch them. I was hoping all of the kittens would get away."

"Well one of those big people was my mother and that's why I got in trouble. I don't have much time before my mother notices I'm not on the stool so follow me if want to see the most awesome little kitten ever."

Brittany looked at her mother who was still talking to her father on the phone. She then got down and all fours and crawled over to Santana which made Santana scowl. "Why are you crawling?"

"Cause it looks like fun. My name is Brittany."

"I'm Santana." Santana started crawling towards a room in the back of the shelter with Brittany right behind her. Santana quietly told Brittany about the kitten while they crawled. "This morning when we first got her I had go to bathroom so my mother took me back in this room and that's where I saw this tiny kitten in a cage all by himself. I didn't get a good look at him but from what I saw he looked awesome not like those little kittens you were looking at." When they got to the door of the room Santana looked around and when she didn't see her mother she quickly stood up and opened the door with Brittany standing up right behind her.

When they walked into the room there on the table in a tiny cage was the tiniest little kitten Santana and Brittany had ever seen. They both were just tall enough to see on top of the table and they stood there staring at the sleeping kitten. The kitten was wrapped up in a tiny little blanket.

"Why is he back here all by himself? Why isn't he out with the other kitties?" Brittany whispered worrying she might wake up the tiny sleeping kitten.

"I ask my mom and she said he is a runt."

Brittany scowled at Santana because she had never heard that word before and she didn't even want to try and say it. "What does that mean?"

"My mom said he is a runt because he's so tiny and needs extra special care." Santana watched the kitten wondering how something so tiny could even exist.

The two girls stood there just staring at the kitten until he opened his mouth and yawned and stretched out his tiny paws.

"Did you see that he moved?" Brittany asked all excited.

"Yeah, I told you he was the most awesome kitten ever." Santana smiled at how excited Brittany got.

Brittany watched as the kitten opened his eyes and looked around until he finally looked at her. At that moment she felt her tummy feel all warm and she knew what it meant. "I want him to be my kitty."

"Really? I don't know if anyone can take him home because he's so tiny." Santana looked at Brittany who was staring the kitten with a huge smile on her face.

"He wants to come home with me cause he knows I'll take good care of him. He maybe little but his the most special kitten who has ever lived." Brittany said not taking her eyes off from the kitten.

Santana smiled at Brittany because she really liked the way she said things. "We can ask my mom if you can take him home? Oh no, my mom I need to back to the stool before she sees I'm gone."

Santana started walking to the door but stopped cold when she saw her mother and the woman she recognized as Brittany's mother standing the door way. Santana swallowed hard because she knew she was in big trouble for disobeying her mother. When Santana's eyes met her mother's eyes she got the motherly glare which meant she was in trouble but there was also a glint of softness in her eyes that Santana didn't usually see when her mother was mad at her.

Brittany looked away from the kitten and noticed her mother standing there. "Mommy, I found the kitty I want and he's a grunt!" Brittany shouted excitedly.

Santana wanted to giggle at Brittany but she knew better because she was in trouble for disobeying her mother. Santana's mother, Maribel, looked at Susan with a confused. "What do mean he's a grunt?" Susan asked her daughter.

Before Brittany could answer Santana spoke so softly it was difficult for anyone to hear her. "She means he's a runt." Santana started walking towards the door.

"Hey, where are you going?" Brittany asked with a sad look on her face.

"Stool" was all Santana said.

Maribel touched Santana on the shoulder which made her stop walking. "Look at me Santana." Santana reluctantly looked up at her mother. She knew her mother was disappointed in her for disobeying and not staying on the stool. Santana could be a handful at times but she hated disappointing her parents. "We will talk about this when get home ok? (Santana nodded her head yes) You don't have to go back to the stool. Now tell me why you and your new friend were back here where you know you aren't allowed to be. Mrs. Pierce came up to me wondering if I had seen her daughter and then I noticed you were missing too. We both got very worried when we couldn't find you two. I have the idea that you are the reason Mrs. Pierce couldn't find Brittany. Am I right? Did you bring Brittany back here to this room to see the kitten?"

Santana very quietly said, "Yes."

"You need to apologize to Mrs. Pierce for making her worry when she couldn't find Brittany." Maribel spoke to Santana in a firm yet calm voice.

Santana turned to Susan, "I'm sorry for bringing Brittany back here to see the kitten and making you worry."

Susan looked at Santana and gave her a kind smile because she knew the girl had meant no harm in taking Brittany back to the room. "I accept your apology Santana."

Brittany stood there watching Santana as she apologized to her mother and she didn't like seeing the sad look on Santana's face. "I followed Santana back here because she said there was an awesome kitten back here and she was right. He is the most awesomest kitten ever and he wants me take him home."

Susan looked at Maribel and motioned for her to walk over to the other side of the room to talk. "Is this kitten up for adoption?"

"Yes, he is up for adoption although he won't be able to go home with his new family until the vet says he's strong enough. He doesn't have any major health issues he's just tiny and needs some extra care right now to make sure he eats and gains weight. He came from a very large litter of kittens and just didn't get enough to eat."

Susan thought for a few seconds. "I just don't want to adopt a kitten that may you know…die. I hate to put it bluntly."

"I understand completely. Would it help if I told I wouldn't hesitate adopting this kitten for Santana?"

"Thanks that helps a lot. Can Brittany hold the kitten?"

"Sure just let me get him out of his cage."

Maribel and Susan walked over to the table where the girls were watching the kitchen in his cage. "Look Mommy he's licking his tiny paws."

"Ok girls, I'm going to take the kitten out of his cage for Brittany to hold but before I do there are a couple of rules. You must sit in the chair over there while holding the kitten and you must be very gentle with him because he's a tiny baby and needs special attention. Do you understand Brittany?"

"I understand." Brittany was so excited she was going to hold the kitten that she wanted to jump up and down but she knew she had to be calm.

Brittany and Santana watched intently as Maribel opened the cage and carefully took the tiny kitten out while keeping him wrapped in his blanket. He let out the tiniest meow which made Brittany fall in love with him even more. Maribel carried the kitten over to the chair across the room with Brittany and Santana right on her heels.

"Brittany sit down here in the chair and I'll hand the kitten to you."

Brittany sat down and before she knew it she was holding the tiny kitten. He was so tiny he fit perfectly in her small hands. She held him up so they were looking into each other eyes with their noses almost touching. "You are the most awesomest kitten ever just like Santana told me. If I get to take you home I promise to take care of you. I love you so much already."

Susan stood there watching her daughter interact with the kitten and tears came to her eyes. She looked at Maribel and nodded her head yes silently telling her that they would adopt the kitten.

"Brittany would you like to feed him?" Maribel asked.

"Yes," she squealed out.

"Remember I told you he needs special care and that means for the next week or so he needs to be fed with a tiny bottle like a baby bottle." Maribel walked over to the counter to prepare the bottle for the kitten. When she was finished she brought the tiny bottle over to Brittany. "You have be careful when feed him just like if you were feeding a baby. It's best if he lays on his tummy while you feed him so hold him like this. (Maribel positions the kitten the correct way in Brittany's hands) He can choke if he sucks on the bottle too quickly and yes he needs to be burped too."

"I have a baby sister who drinks from a bottle and I have feed her tons of times so I know how to do it." Brittany said as her eyes never left the tiny kitten.

Maribel brought the tiny bottle over to Brittany. "I'm going to put the nipple in his mouth because sometimes it takes him a few seconds to start sucking." Maribel put the tiny nipple from the bottle into the kitten's mouth and after a few seconds he started sucking the nipple so she handed the bottle to Brittany.

Brittany watched in awe and amazement as the tiny kitten sucked the milk from the bottle. Santana, who stood close to chair, also watched in awe and amazement but she wasn't watching the kitten as much as she was watching Brittany. The look on Brittany's face as she watched the kitten was priceless and Santana couldn't help but stare at her.

Maribel and Susan watched their daughters. Maribel couldn't help but notice the way Santana was watching Brittany. Santana was a good kid, got excellent grades, and was popular in school but she didn't really seem to have any friends she wanted to play with outside of school. Her mother had asked her several times if there wasn't a friend from her class that she'd like to invite over to play and then have a sleepover but Santana always said no.

Susan watched Brittany feed the kitten and she immediately could tell by the look on her daughter's face that she loved the kitten already. Like Santana, Brittany was a good kid and was popular in school but she didn't really have friends she wanted to play with outside of school. Everyone loved Brittany because she was always happy and sweet but there were also kids at school who made fun of her because she had a very active imagination.

Maribel and Susan talked about their daughters while Brittany fed the kitten. They found out both girls attended the same elementary school but were in different classes. They ended up talking about the common concern they shared for their daughters' lack of having friends outside of school. After a few minutes of watching their daughters interact as Brittany fed the kittens, they both had come up with the same idea but before either could mention it to the other one the kitten had finished his bottle.

Maribel took the bottle and sat it aside. "Ok, now **Brittany you **have to gently rub the kitten's back so he can burp just like you do with your little sister. It's easiest if you put him on your shoulder like you do a baby."

Brittany looked at Santana who was still carefully watching every move she made with the kitten. "I want Santana to burp my kitten…I mean the kitten."

Santana panicked hearing those words. "No that's ok. You burp the kitten. He's so tiny I might hurt him." Santana looked at her mother with a pleading look to help her.

Maribel just gave her a small smile because she knew it would be a good experience for Santana to hold something so tiny and helpless in her hands. Maribel knew Santana was a very caring child although she didn't always let other see it. "You won't hurt the kitten Mija."

Maribel took the kitten from Brittany so she could get out of the chair and Santana could sit down. Santana nervously sat down I the chair. She was sure she would squeeze the kitten too tight or worst yet drop him on the floor. She quickly wiped her sweaty hands on her jeans and took a deep breath before her mother carefully placed the kitten on Santana's shoulder. Maribel put a small cloth on Santana's shoulder just in case the kitten burped up any formula.

The kitten started to move which made Santana even more nervous but the kitten stopped moving once he got into a comfortable position. "Santana, gently rub his back like this." Maribel showed Santana what to do.

Santana gently rubbed the kitten's back while Brittany watched intently waiting to see how long it would be before he burped. After a couple of minutes Santana began to relax and even enjoy holding the kitten. His fur was so soft. Finally the kitten let out the tiniest little burp which caused Brittany and Santana to giggle until something happened that made Santana panic.

"Mami what's wrong with him? I didn't mean to squeeze him or anything!" Santana felt tears coming to her eyes.

Maribel and Susan watched the kitten and they looked at each other and smiled. Maribel knelt down by the chair and stroked Santana's arm to calm her down. "Sweetie, he just has hiccups and that's why his body is jumping like that, you didn't do anything wrong."

Santana gave a weak, little smile as the tears that were in her eyes ran down her cheeks. Brittany gently wiped the tears from Santana's cheeks. "You are doing great Santana. I think Lord Tubbington has one more burp in him."

Santana scowled, "Who is Lord Tubbington?"

"That's what I'm going to name the kitten if I get to take him home."

Santana thought Lord Tubbington was a strange name but she couldn't tell Brittany because she was quite sure Brittany had put a lot of thought into the name even before she knew she was going to get a kitten. Santana rubbed the kittens back a few more times and sure enough he had one more burp in him.

"Brittany, are sure this is the kitten you want?" Susan had no idea why she was even asking the question because she already knew the answer.

"Yes, yes yes! I love him so much already. I promise I will take care of him for the rest of my life." Brittany rambled on full of excitement.

"Ok, let me and talk to Mrs. Lopez about we need to do to adopt him."

"Did you hear that Lord Tubbington you are going to be my kitty!" Brittany gently rubbed his back as he slept still laying on Santana's shoulder.

Maribel put the kitten back in the cage. She explained to Susan and Brittany that they wouldn't be able to take him home until the vet said he had gained enough weight. Maribel gave Susan papers to fill out and bring back the next day.

It was time for Maribel to leave so her and Santana walked out to the shelter parking lot with Susan and Brittany. Before she got into her mother's van Brittany yelled to Santana. "Santana, thank you for showing me the most awesomest kitten in the world. You can come visit him when I get to bring him home if you want to."

Santana got a huge smile on her face hearing Brittany say she could visit the kitten. However, the smile wasn't just because she'd be seeing the kitten again it was because she would be seeing Brittany again too. Santana waved goodbye to Brittany.

The drive home to the Lopez home was a quiet one. Santana kept looking out the car window wondering when her mother was going to tell her that there would no TV when they got home because she had disobeyed her and got off the stool. Maribel didn't say a word either which was torture to Santana. Her mother must be really disappointed in her which caused tears to start to form in her eyes but she held them back.

Once they were home Santana went right to her room and lay on the bed staring at the ceiling. She kept thinking about the kitten and Brittany. She had never met a girl like Brittany. After about an hour Santana had fallen asleep and woke up when she heard a knock on her bedroom door. Maribel opened the door, "Santana, there's someone downstairs to be see you."

Santana was confused because no one ever came to see her. She got off her bed and followed her mother downstairs. When they got to the front door Santana was surprised to see Brittany standing there with her mother who was holding a little blonde haired girl. Santana looked at her mother wondering what was going on.

Maribel put her arm on her Santana's shoulder, "Brittany has come to play with you and she's going to eat dinner with us."

Santana couldn't believe her ears, "Really?"

"Yes Santana, I'm really here to play with you and eat dinner with you too. My mommy asked me on the way home in the car if I'd like to come play with you today and I got so excited I thought I was going to wet my pants. I didn't wet my pants because I'm a big girl now but when we got home I ran to the bathroom just in case." Brittany rambled on and on while Santana couldn't stop from giggling.

"Brittany, you listen to Mrs. Lopez and be a good girl. I need to get Ella home for her nap." Susan leaned down and kissed Brittany on the cheek. Maribel and Susan spoke briefly before Susan left.

Santana and Brittany stood there looking at each other wondering what they should do next. "Why don't you two go in the living room and watch TV or a movie? I'll go get some drinks and snacks for you." Brittany got all excited while Santana stood there scowling looking at her feet which Maribel noticed so she knelt down so she was face to face with her daughter. "What's wrong Mija?"

Santana looked over at Brittany who was watching her so she whispered in her mother's ear so Brittany couldn't hear her. "I can't wait TV remember I got off the stool."

Maribel looked at her daughter and smiled, "It's ok you can watch TV with Brittany. Just this one time I'm not going to punish you for disobeying me ok?" Santana nodded her head yes.

Santana walked over to Brittany, "Let's go pick out a movie to watch. We have a lot of movies." Brittany squealed and followed Santana into the living room.

**20 Years Later**

Santana was sitting on the porch swing looking out at the backyard. It was late spring and the weather was getting warmer. She turned to her left when she heard the sliding glass door to the patio open. "May we join you?"

"I would love for you to join me." Santana watched as Brittany sat down carefully beside her on the porch swing. She put her arm around Brittany.

"It's time for Gracie to nurse so I thought we'd come enjoy the sunshine with you." Brittany unbuttoned her shirt far enough so 3 month old Gracie could nurse.

Santana loved watching Brittany nurse their daughter. The whole process was miracle and amazing to Santana. She watched Brittany's face as she lovingly watched Gracie nurse. Neither Santana nor Brittany were ready for the intense love they felt for their daughter when she was born.

Brittany glanced at Santana briefly and saw how she was deep in thought watching their daughter nurse. She knew it was difficult for Santana not to have this type of bonding with their daughter and that is why they had a routine when she nursed Gracie.

A few minutes later Gracie stopped sucking so Brittany knew she was full so she carefully handed the baby to Santana. Santana put Gracie on her shoulder while Brittany put a burp cloth on her shoulder just in case Gracie spit up. Santana gently rubbed Gracie back for a few minutes until she burped. She smiled at Gracie and kissed her temple.

Santana looked at Brittany who had a huge smile on her face and her eyes were full of tears. "What's wrong Britt?"

"Nothing is wrong. Everything is right. I had a flashback just now while you were burping Gracie. In my mind I saw a scared six year old Santana burping a tiny Lord Tubbington." Brittany wiped the few tears that ran down her face.

"Little did we know that day the word tiny would never be used again to describe his Lordship." Santana said teasing Brittany who just rolled her eyes.

"You loved him as much as I did and nothing you can ever say will make me believe any different." Brittany said with a smirk.

"Love him? How could I love a cat that made my life miserable for years? Especially the older we got." Santana said back with a smirk.

"Lord Tubbington was very protective of me and when you started having dirty thoughts about me he knew it."

Santana laughed, "Dirty thoughts? At thirteen my only dirty thought about you was getting up the nerve to kiss on the cheek."

"Anyway Lord Tubbington knew what you were after and he was protecting me."

"Right so is that why he just happen to swallow your earring on prom night so we ended up having to take him to the vet and missing half of prom?"

"We we just lucky the earring came out on its own the two days later." Brittany smiled as she watched Gracie's eyes start to close.

"Don't remind I'd rather forget what we had to do to search for the earring once it came out." Santana shuddered.

Brittany looked at Gracie who was sound asleep now. "I'm going to take her inside, change her diaper, and put her in her crib. Then you and I can fix our dinner." Santana carefully handed Gracie to Brittany and watched her go back to their house.

Santana sat there for a few more minutes before walking off the patio and over to a huge oak tree in their backyard. She sat down on the ground and criss crossed her legs. Brittany had planted some flowers around the oak tree and they were beautiful. There was also a stone lying by the tree. The stone read, Lord Tubbington, The most awesome kitten ever.

Santana got tears in her eyes reading the stone, that damn cat he could make her smile, laugh, get angry, and cry. He had been the reason Brittany and her met. If it hadn't been for him who knows if they would have ever become friends, then girlfriends, then wives, and now mothers. It was true the older they both got Santana and Lord Tubbington had a love/hate relationship. It was because they both wanted Brittany's undivided attention.

Lord Tubbington had been there for all of the major events in their lives. He was there when Santana's appendix burst at age 10 and she was so ill she was in ICU for almost a week, he was there when Brittany's grandfather was killed in a car accident when she was 14, he was there for their first kiss, he was there when they broke up for two weeks in 10th grade, he was there when they graduated from high school, he was there when they went off to college, he was there when Santana's mother had breast cancer and survived it, he was there when they graduated from college, he was there when they married at age 22, and he was there for their first year of marriage.

Santana will never forget the day she came home from work to find Brittany sitting in the middle of the living room floor holding Lord Tubbington rocking back and forth crying. When she had gotten home a few minutes earlier she found him dead in his bed. He was seventeen years old which meant he lived a couple of years longer than the average cat.

Santana suddenly felt a hand rub her back. "Hey, when I put Gracie down in her crib I looked for you and finally found you sitting here." Brittany continued to rub Santana's back. Santana sniffled and quickly wiped her tears away. "Honey, it's ok to cry. I miss him too. When I planted the flowers last week and Gracie was in her carrier watching me I told her about the day we met and how everything we have today was because Lord Tubbington the grunt of the litter."

Santana could always count on Brittany to make her laugh. "I think it's time we thought about getting a kitten for Gracie."

"Really?" Brittany asked because she had been thinking the same thing but didn't know if it was something Santana wanted to do.

"Yeah, if we get a kitten when she's six months old they can grow up together and hopefully she will love her kitten as much as we loved Lord Tubbington."

Brittany kissed Santana sweetly on the lips. "I knew you loved him all along."

"How could I not?" Santana said as she laid her head on Brittany's shoulder.

THE END

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or the FOX Network. This is written for entertainment.


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